Transaction

Like any ordinary high school, Advanced Nurturing High School's opening ceremony dragged on endlessly. Aside from the student representative Sakayanagi Arisu's speech sparking some interest in Ryuuen, the rest was utterly devoid of substance and painfully boring.

Sakayanagi Arisu, a Class A student, would later split Class A in two with Katsuragi. Usually quiet and reserved, she observes and evaluates things objectively. Her legs are unsteady, requiring a cane to move, leaving her with extremely poor athletic ability. She unilaterally knows about Ayanokoji's past and wants a true showdown with him.

Ryuuen's interest in her wasn't because she was Class A's leader, but because of the girl's inherent cuteness. Ryuuen liked girls who looked appetizing, or rather, girls who inspired a strong desire to protect and possess.

Leaving the gymnasium, Ryuuen blocked Horikita Suzune's path. "Ryuuen Kakeru. Nice to meet you."

Ryuuen extended his right hand—a habit he'd developed, shaking hands before conversing. But in Horikita Suzune's eyes, his behavior seemed frivolous, like a street punk hitting on her. Even though Ryuuen's short hair made him look somewhat handsome and his manner toward her was polite.

Still, Horikita didn't give Ryuuen a pleasant expression. Having witnessed his seat-giving incident on the bus earlier, her first impression of him was that of a pushover, with zero desire to interact. Frowning, Horikita Suzune ultimately chose to ignore Ryuuen, flicking her jet-black hair as she brushed past him.

Class C's students all noticed Ryuuen's failed approach. Some laughed inwardly, some fumed with indignation, some purely watched the spectacle, and others felt indifferent.

In Class D, only Ayanokoji and Kushida Kikyo noticed Horikita being approached. After all, Horikita had no friends in class yet. Only Kushida, who saw her as a thorn in her side, and Ayanokoji, who wanted to use her, cared about her. In a way, it was rather pitiful, though Horikita Suzune herself certainly wouldn't think so.

Sensing many hostile stares from his class, Ryuuen wasn't afraid of a sneak attack, but being constantly stared at by other men was disgusting. So he left alone, heading to the mall to buy daily necessities and training equipment.

Though he'd reminded his classmates to conserve their points, Ryuuen had no intention of depriving himself. He bought the best quality toiletries and such, plus a punching bag and boxing gloves worth 50,000 points.

Staring at the mere 20,000 points left on his student ID card, Ryuuen couldn't help but sigh. "Points sure don't last. I've never been this broke since I started my ventures. Guess I need to figure out a way to get some points."

After confirming his dorm address with the deliveryman, Ryuuen headed to the school library. The campus had only one library, open to all faculty and students. He came here to find third-year students.

Ryuuen sat in the main hall, legs crossed, waiting for the right person to show up.

Identifying students in the library wasn't hard. Their micro-expressions and demeanor clearly revealed information. First-years were more lively and looked green, second-years steadier, and third-years seemed heavier, bearing the stress of graduation after two years of the school's torment. Even within the same year, each class's spirit differed. Class A students were certainly more confident, but Ryuuen was looking for Class C third-years.

After observing the library's students for a while, Ryuuen roughly identified a few Class C third-years. Picking a girl with braids who looked relatively meek, he walked over, tapped her shoulder, and spoke. "Excuse me, could you help me out?"

The girl looked up blankly, stammering at the handsome, robust boy before her. "Sure, go ahead."

"I want to meet your class's leader. Right now. It's urgent." Ryuuen's voice was soft—even elementary schoolers knew not to be loud in a library.

The girl was disappointed; he wasn't hitting on her after all. But she still took out her student ID card to message the class leader. After all, sending a message cost nothing, and the boy said it was urgent, seeming important. She wondered if it involved class issues, but thinking of Class C's situation, she sighed.

Not in the mood to chat with the girl, Ryuuen sat across from her, grabbed a random copy of The Red and the Black, and waited for the Class C leader to arrive. The braided girl didn't initiate conversation either, continuing to read her own book.

What Ryuuen didn't know was that Shiina Hiyori was nearby. At first, she was puzzled by his presence in the library—he didn't look like a book lover. Then she saw him approach a girl, assuming he was just hitting on someone, like he'd done with Horikita Suzune in the gym. But this time, the target wasn't pretty, and after a few words, he sat down to read.

Strange. Shiina Hiyori was sure Ryuuen hadn't come to the library just to read or pick up girls, but she couldn't figure out his goal. Remembering how he'd asked her to collect class points that morning, she thought she'd seize the chance to tell him she didn't want to work for him.

But Shiina Hiyori had only taken a few steps when Ryuuen's contact arrived. Watching Ryuuen and that man leave the library, she was too late. Noticing the book Ryuuen had been reading wasn't put back on the shelf, she frowned but still went over to return it for him.

"The Red and the Black. At least a little taste," Shiina Hiyori thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Ryuuen and the Class C leader, Mizuno Kosei, moved to the cafeteria.

"We don't know each other, do we, junior?"

The plain-looking senior Mizuno struck first, immediately identifying Ryuuen's status while elevating his own.

"Senior's been troubled lately, hasn't he? No hope of rising to Class A, graduation looming. Tsk, tsk, rough."

This direct jab at his sore spot didn't anger Mizuno Kosei. As a class leader, he had some composure. "You didn't come just to mock me, did you? Drop the childish games and get to the point. Weren't you in a hurry?"

"Boring." Ryuuen sat up straight, pulling a ten million yen check from inside his shirt. The check was uncrumpled, clearly well-protected. Though personal items weren't allowed on campus, where there were people, there was corruption. Ryuuen spending money for privileges was hardly surprising.

Mizuno Kosei stared hard at the check, his voice dropping. "What do you want to buy from me?"

"You've already guessed, haven't you? The only thing on you worth anything to me is points." Ryuuen spoke casually. "Your points are useless after graduation. The school can't guarantee your employment. Selling them to me is your best bet, isn't it?"

Mizuno Kosei was tempted. That was a ten million yen check—about five hundred thousand yuan in Chinese currency. Ryuuen was so casual because he knew Mizuno Kosei wouldn't refuse. After all, Class C had no hope of reaching Class A, and hoarding those points was pointless. Better to exchange them for real yen.

Mizuno Kosei also figured out why Ryuuen had approached him. This strategy only worked on third-years. Class D third-years wouldn't have many points left. Class B was in a final struggle with Class A and wouldn't sell crucial points. That left Class C as the best option.

The real question was how many points Ryuuen's check could buy from Class C—that was the key to their negotiation!

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